The 4th and the Firecracker

As we have done for the past several years, the 4th of July weekend was spent in Williamston, NC at the Firecracker Jubilee/Liberty Bell Classic. The Senator Bob Martin Horse Complex in Williamston is a superior venue for an equine event of any sort. Due to limited lessons, practice, the economy, or just plain penny pinching, we submitted a very limited class sheet. Very limited. In fact, B showed in but two classes and C in only one. This was our first trip with our new horse trailer, other than brining it home from Alabama last January. It was a relief to make a trip without having to worry if the left rear brakes were going to melt the tire off the rim due to locking up. Or how many leaks there would be if it rained.


Anyway, I can do a piece on the pros and cons of the old dinosaur at another time. Just suffice it to say that the new trailer was great. Anyway, once again, the results for the weekend were pretty decent (JMO) despite limited practice. C brought home a double 4th place finish in her lone class and B captured a double 4th in one class and a 3rd and 5th split in her other. Again, not a bad outing. With regards to the practice/lesson issue, the current state of the economy, fuel costs, etc. has forced us to begin looking at several options for a closer to home solution.

A Happy 4th of July

Over the 4th of July weekend we attended our first Firecracker Jubilee/Liberty Bell Classic horse show in Williamston. The event is held at the Senator Bob Martin Horse Complex. It is a terrific facility with plenty of stalls, parking and hookups. The event is actually two shows rolled into one. Each class has two judges who render their own results, so two places, or ribbons, are issued. One judge represents the Firecracker Jubilee (FJ) and the other represents the Liberty Bell Classic (LBC). By far, this was the biggest show we have been envolved in to date. The only drawback was the heat, but the 4th of July in coastal North Carolina...what else could one expect. The show was busy but our results made all of the work worth it.

When it was all said and done, C had taken a 2nd (FJ) and 3rd (LBC) in the GAYP Novice Rider Adult 2-gait on Red. Also riding Red, C took a 6th place finish from both judges in the Country Pleasure English Adult 2-gait.

B stunned us all with a double Blue Ribbon while riding Red in the GAYP Novice Rider Youth 2-gait. She also posted a 4th (FJ) and 6th (LBC) in Youth Model Geldings and finished a solid 2nd (FJ) and 5th (LBC) in TWH Trail Pleasure English Youth (13 & under) 2-gait. Even considering her double blue ribbon ride, what was probably her most satisfying effort was a 5th (LBC) place finish in the TWH/SSH Trail Pleasure English/Western Youth 2-gait Championship Class against a large field of accomplished riders and horses. It was a weekend well spent that garnered us a fistfull of ribbons and a bundle of memories that will last a lifetime.